Dinner at La Tanière3 (08/06/2025)

General comments:
* Got my reservation prior to the Michelin guide, reservations seem to be a lot more difficult now. Earliest available date is ~ late Aug
* Solo reservations are available
* Did the Dining Room Cellar experience ($275/pp – but I paid $250 as I booked before their price increase) with the non-alcoholic pairing
* Not sure what the difference is between the dining room & chef’s counter but my friend said it’s the same menu but just served at the counter?
* 3 drink pairing options which I believe were 225 and 115 for the alcohol pairings & 95 for non-alcoholic.

Notes on the restaurant:
* Easy to find
* Restaurant texts & emails you the code for the door a couple days prior to the reservation
* Fun gimmick but I think it’s just there so random people don’t walk in lol
* Blind tasting, menu is provided after the meal
* A nice pamphlet  is provided w/ the food menu, background of the restaurant, the suppliers, and their values.
* The courses were be served over 3 different parts of the restaurant
* Lighting in the amuse-bouche and dessert room is dimmer than the main dining room
* Chairs are very comfortable (good back support!!)
* Clean bathroom
* Toilet paper was very disappointing, 1 or 2-ply toilet paper, see through enough to see my hand
* Hand towels were provided to dry your hands afterwards
* Accessibility?
* There were a couple of stairs but I don’t remember any ramps

Notes on the food:
* They don’t use any ingredients that aren’t found in Quebec (iirc) which was interesting b/c they had to find creative ways to achieve flavours that could’ve easily been imported (e.g., some citrus fruits)
* Enjoyed all the dishes, but the lobster dish was easily the standout dish for me. The umami of the dish was incredible, one of, if not the best dish I’ve had in Canada.
* Was pleasantly surprised by their trout dish. I was skeptical as the foam contained tomato water and I’ve had a horrible experience w/ tomato water in the past @ Pierre Gagnaire but this time it was delicious. The fiddleheads were amazing as well.
* Pan-seared foie gras was a bit weird as it was warm on the outside and cold in the middle. Not sure if that’s how it’s supposed to be served as I haven’t tried foie gras that was pan-seared before.
* The red cabbage in the venison dish was an excellent addition to cut through the richness of the sauce. 
* The repeat of their signature dish, “Caviar and Butter”, after the mains as a dessert/pallet-cleanser spin-off was very fun. 
* No coffee or tea option at the end as it seems like they serve everyone tea (complimentary)
* Non-alcoholic drink pairings were excellent. It was the first time I’ve done non-alcoholic pairings and I enjoyed it more than I thought.

Notes on service:
* Pacing was a little fast at the start w/ the amuse bouches but it was well paced after that
* Service was professional but more relaxed/laid-back which I enjoyed.
* The staffs’ english were excellent so no worries if you can’t speak French
* It was kind of funny seeing them replace my entire placemat because of bread crumbs instead of just scraping it off, but I appreciated it.